Mt Whitney Zone Forums The Chat Room Everest book A Day To Die For

I highly recommend Graham Ratcliffe's new Everest book:
http://www.amazon.com/Day-Die-Everests-D...0322&sr=1-1

my review on the Amazon page is:
With satellites, computers, and internet, weather forecasting has improved since British explorers Eric Shipton and Bill Tilman planned their trips on the back of an envelope. In Everest 1938 Tilman said "Mountaineering, like farming, sailing, and all our most interesting activities, is a chancy business ruled largely by the weather." British climbing writer Geoffrey Winthrop Young in Mountain Craft cautioned that, "Those who ignore weather signs lose half their climbing days; those who deliberately disregard, or despise them, may lose their lives." Graham Ratcliffe's A Day To Die For is a superb sleuthing of weather details, and importantly who ignored them at all costs in 1996. He shows that while technology has improved common sense has not. His book is a must read. It should win the Boardman-Tasker Prize for Mountaineering Literature.

Dr. Lankford,

Thank you for you recommendation of this book, wish I could read it now. In the OC this morning we had hail, rain and lots of thunder. The Weather Station Alert sounded twice today already which prompted me to check out the weather on dmatt's website. All indicators at this time say we're in for possible rain and snow showers through till next Friday 9/16. Hope it clears for 9/17 thru 9/19. There isn't any Day to Die For in my life unless I'm 105 years old, then I'll go peacefully. Maybe I'll pick up Cindy Abbott's book and "A Day To Die For" for evening reading at Trail Camp, weather allowing that is.

Harvey I finished this book yesterday. What a read. I have read most every book on including watching the documentary on the IMAX film about the 1996 Everest disaster. Graham puts the blame squarely on Rob Halls failure to rely on the weather forecasts he received daily.Partial blame on Scott Fisher's and Rob Hall's burden and desire to get their expensive clients to the top.The over confidence in their own abilities to lead with unrelealistic expectations in the quides and sherpas in the face of a devasting storm.The stuborness to not call off the climbs even when several guides said the weather was too fierce.This along the lack of discpline to have a hard turn around time led to a total complete violation of every common sense decision that was necessary to survive.
Graham was a man possessed to get to the bottom of why his group was pushed to May 11,1996 with Hall and Fishers teams going on the 10th is a facinating if not disturbing read.Mr Ratcliffes obsesion to discover if his group was deliberately placed into harms way knowingly by Rob Hall is like reading a mystery novel.
There sure were a lot of people whose memory got strangely fuzzy when it came to the subject of weather forecasts prior to the disasterous climbs of Everest May 1996.
Graham Ratcliffes own history of climbing Everest is worthy of a book let alone the intrique getting to the bottom of the decisions made that led to human tragedy of the Hall/Fisher led teams.